Here are the most exciting airline routes launching in September

Summer is over and airlines, like the weather, are transitioning into fall mode. That means fewer leisure flights and more business flights.

IN Travel and leisureThe latest highlights of the most exciting routes to launch in the coming month, September will bring more connecting options on American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines. Spirit Airlines is taking on budget giant Southwest Airlines in California. And European discounter Norse Atlantic has a new transatlantic option from Las Vegas.

American, Delta and United add connectivity

American, Delta and United are adding several new connecting routes this month. The additions come as airlines look to add options for business travelers as leisure travel slows after Labor Day.

Delta is expanding its service at New York LaGuardia Airport with a nonstop flight to Tulsa starting Sept. 3. It will compete with American on the route. The new Delta flight departs New York daily at 5:35 p.m. for a three-hour, 35-minute flight to Tulsa, with economy fares ranging from $193 to $448 one-way.

United is adding new nonstop flights from its hubs in Los Angeles (LAX) and Washington Dulles starting Sept. 26. The airline will connect LAX with St. George, Utah — home to SkyWest Airlines’ regional affiliate and a popular destination with access to Lake Powell — with one-way economy class fares starting at $145 for the 1-hour, 30-minute flight from LAX daily at 1:30 p.m.

From Washington, United will add three daily flights to Greenville-Spartanburg, S.C., with economy fares starting at $371 one-way. Flights from Greenville will depart Dulles at 8:15 a.m., 12:45 p.m. and 5:20 p.m. for a 1.5-hour trip. The new service is part of a larger 10-route expansion of United’s Dulles hub this year aimed at increasing the number of connecting flights available there.

American will connect Chicago O’Hare and Evansville, Indiana, starting Sept. 3 as part of an effort to provide the most domestic connectivity of any U.S. airline. The route, which the airline last operated in 2022, complements American’s existing service to Evansville from Charlotte and Dallas-Fort Worth, as scheduled by Cirium Diio. Flights from Chicago depart at 12:45 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. for a trip that takes about an hour and 20 minutes. Economy tickets start at $391 one-way.

JetBlue Expands Maine Operations Ahead of Foliage Season

JetBlue Airways, which doesn’t typically add regional routes, is landing in Maine’s North Woods this month. The airline will connect Boston with Presque Isle — a city closer to the Canadian border than Acadia National Park or Maine’s largest city, Portland — starting Sept. 5. The flights will depart daily at 3 p.m., an hour and 25 minutes north. Economy tickets start at $59 one-way. JetBlue will receive nearly $22 million over two years from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Essential Air Service program to operate the route.

Cape Air adds New York-Cape Cod route

Regional airline Cape Air connects New York JFK with its Hyannis, Mass., base on Sept. 4. The flight replaces a flight from partner JetBlue that leaves the day before, providing continuous year-round air service between New York and Cape Cod. The flight departs New York daily at 11:55 a.m., with one-way fares starting at $261.

Spirit Takes on Southwest California

Discounter Spirit is taking on California’s largest airline, Southwest Airlines, by offering new routes from Burbank to Sacramento and San Jose on Sept. 4. Spirit flights from Sacramento depart Burbank up to twice daily at 9:10 a.m. and around noon (exact times vary by day) for an hour and 15 minutes of flying time north. Flights to San Jose depart twice daily at 11:40 a.m. and 3:40 p.m. for an hour and five minutes of flying time. Tickets range from $39 to $49 one-way on both routes.

On the other side of the country, Spirit will connect Nashville and New Orleans four times a week starting Sept. 4. Flights from Nashville depart at 6:05 a.m. on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays for an hour and 35-minute journey. One-way fares range from $39 to $67.

WestJet and Norse Atlantic add international links

Also from Nashville, WestJet will add a new route to Winnipeg on Mondays and Fridays starting Sept. 26. Flights from Nashville depart at 11:10 a.m. for the three-hour, 10-minute trip north. Fares vary widely by week, though: you can find deals as low as $88 one-way in economy, but some days see fares soar to more than $1,000 one-way.

European carrier Norse Atlantic will land in Las Vegas on September 12 with a new direct service to London. Flights from Sin City depart Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays at 4:45 p.m. local time and arrive at Gatwick Airport, south of London, at 10:35 a.m. the next day. Entry-level economy tickets start at $525 one-way. Norse is in good company on this route, as British Airways and Virgin Atlantic Airways already operate up to three flights a day from Las Vegas to London, according to Cirium Diio’s flight schedules.